Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अस्नात्वा चाप्यहुत्वा वाऽदत्त्वा वाश्नाति यो गृही । देवादीनामृणी भूत्वा नरकं प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

asnātvā cāpyahutvā vā'dattvā vāśnāti yo gṛhī | devādīnāmṛṇī bhūtvā narakaṃ pratipadyate

Translation

Le maître de maison qui mange sans s’être baigné, ou sans avoir fait d’offrandes, ou sans avoir donné l’aumône, devient débiteur envers les dieux et les autres, et tombe en enfer.

Word by Word

• अस्नात्वा: without bathing; having not bathed
• अस्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having not bathed’; उपसर्ग-निषेधार्थ ‘अ-’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-शब्दः (also/even)

• अहुत्वा: without offering (oblations)
• अहुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having not offered (oblations)’; निषेधार्थ ‘अ-’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अदत्त्वा: without giving (donation)
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having not given (in charity)’; निषेधार्थ ‘अ-’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• गृही: a householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘householder’ (synonym)

• देवादीनाम्: of the gods and others
• देवादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—देवाः आदयः येषां ते (gods and others)

• ऋणी: indebted
• ऋणी: Pradhana (Predicate/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘in debt/indebted’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having become’

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains; goes to
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A negligent householder about to eat is shown shadowed by personified ‘ṛṇa’ chains; in contrast, a purified figure after snāna offers a small portion to fire/deity and gives alms—illustrating the fork between dharma and downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha
• Devas
• Ṛṇa (debt)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily life must be sanctified by purity, offerings, and generosity; otherwise one incurs spiritual debt and harmful consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-dharma setting, not tied to a named tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe (snāna), offer oblations (homa/yajña), and give charity (dāna) before eating.